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FRANCIS c. SEBRING, 0F HoBoKn-MNEW JERSEY.-

Lettejs' Patent No. 74,154, ated Fcbruaryd, 1868; antedated Januar-y -23, 1868'.

APPARATUS ron `1 LAYING Panton BASE-BALT..

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

' Be it'known that- I, FBINCIS C. SEBRINQ, of Hoboken, in the county of Hudson, and Stztteofliewr Jersey, have invented a. certain new and useful Apparatus for Indoorl Recreation, which I call Parlor Base-Ball; and I- do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

Thegame is an almost exact imitation,'in miniature, of the popularAmerican eld-game of base-halla For a field, Iemploya board of convenient size to be laid on thetable, or supported onthe knees ofthe players, and fora ball, I use,iby preference, oneofthe thick nickel coins ofthe denomination of one cent," issued by the United States Government in and about the year 1860, The gamehis intended for two players, each of whom vcontrols'the movements of all the men upon one side.' The coin is pitched by a mechanism adjusted and `controlled by the player whose side is -in the eld, and'is batted or struck at-by a mechanism operated by the player whose side is i-n. The several m'en may be represented by any suitable small objects. I prefer small pieces nicely turned, and resembling, in `their general style, the pawns commonly used in 'the game of chess. l I will rst describe. what ,I consider the best means o'i' carrying out my invention, and will afterwards describe thie'p'oints which I believe to be new.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification. Figure 1 is a. plan view. v i

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section.

Y Figures 3 and 4 show. one of the springs, detached froim'the main apparatus.

Similar lettersofreference indicate like'parts in al1 the figures.

' A is the boardLand Al a moulded border. B is a'pieceof brass or other suitable-material,adapted to traverse in the guide A2, and drawn forward by the spring C. Its upper extremity, B1, traverses in the slot a, provided in the board A. As it moves forward, in obedience to the spring C, its forward'end is deilected by contact of the inclined portion, B2, with the front edge of the slot a, so that the acting portion,'B, sinlis,` or is withdrawn down into theboard, allowing the' coin to pass freely over the upper surface of the slot a, in case it shouldfbe so struck bythe bat as-to slide it, in that direction. VDjs the operating-cord.` It passes out `through a hole, al, in the mouldingA, andis operated by the player whois in'the field.' 4In order to pitch the bali, by which name the'coin may he designnted,the.cord D is pulled, so as to dran-hack the piece B and extend the spring C. The coin is then placed in front of it, eithercentijally in front, as represented by the red circle in dg. 1, or a very little to one side or the other, according as it is desired bytheplayerntopitch the ball. The

cord D may-be released' either suddenly or gradually, and the coin will be projected with proportionate force.

E is a hat, turning on the shaft e,`and running in close proximity tothe ppei face of the` board A. On the owerend of the shaft e are two arms, el and e2. The arm c1 is drawn back by the spring G, and `tends'to' hold i the bat E in the position indicated by the red lines. A cord, H, isattached 'to the arm e?, and passes out through n. hole in the casing A1, and is operated by the player who is in. In preparing to receive the ball from the pitcher, the cord H is pulled, and the bat E is drawn into the position indicated in blackV outlines in iig. 1. As the ball is received, the cord His liberated, and the hat E swings round, turning on the centre e. Much skill may be exercised in eii`ecting this simple operation.V The suddenness with which the cord is released determines thevelocity with which the bat E turns upon its centre, andthe time at whichit is released, relatively tothe. motion of the ball, determines the position of the bat-at the moment of its impact with theball. `Thus, ii' itis released early, it will receive the balll nearly in theposition shown by the red lines, and will send it in the direc'- tion indicated by' the red'arrow; while, if it is released late, it will-receive the'ball nearly in the position indicated4 by the black lines, and willA send it in the'direction indicated by the black arrow. A medium ltimingrof the movement will send it at the various angles intermediate between these. I I, dic., are cavities, made, by

preference, quite through the board, and stopped on the lower surface by a platerof metal or other suitableV material, as indicated by z'. These cavities receive the ball when it is projected with the right force in the right direction. The stopping of the ball in either of 'these davities, indicates that the ball is'caught by the man who is supposed to be there stationed. A red circle in fig. indicating that'the bull, after being struck bythe but, has lodged i'n the position represented, indicates that the ball has been caught by the second-base man, and the man who is supposed to have made the stroke is thereupon declared to'he out. I can make the cavities I serve by giving them v'ery little depth, by simply-providing the further or back edge of each with a raised rim. This rim may vbe'made of metal or apy ether suitable material, and should extend hall' round, as indicated by the blue outline I', at the centrc-ieldposition in lg .l1. It should beet' suoli height as to effectually stop Athe ball as it vis projected pas-t it; but it is well to sink the edges, so that the ball striking there maynot stop, but may be simply deectedupward, andallowed to pass on. .T 'J'are spots on the surface ot' the board. They represent throws by themen in the field. When the bat s ends the ball so that it stops in a position either entirely or partially to'cover one of the spots J, it gives the playerwho is in the leld a privilege, as follows: He nay place the ball on any one base', thus'putting out the1 man who must make thatbase. The game may be played according to any rule dictated by loc-al custom, or otherwise; but I will describe it as if played in accordance v With'the rules now generally approved in this locality, which require that three of the nien Vshall be put out before the entire side is out, when the board is turned round, or the players exchange positions, the player who :was originally playing the side which was in the field, 'taking the opposite position, and playing the partei' thel Sidelwhich is in. Returning to the description ol` the spots and their functions, it will be observed that 'there are two of thespots which have an internal circle, and one which has two inter-nal circles. The s'toppingoi the ball, partially or entirely, upon either of these, entitles the playernvho is in thejtield to still .greater privileges, as follows: If the'ball stops upon either of the spots which has one internal circle, it entitles him to `place the ball upon two bases in succession, and thus hc may haveth-e privilege', under some circumstances, of putting out two men. If the ball stops partially or entirelyv upon that'spot J which has two internal circles, the ball maybe placed successively on any three of the bases, thus giving the chance, under some circumstances,oi` putting out three mep'. K K K K are areas on the extreme verge of the board, bounded vby arcs of circles, as represented. When the ball stops, lcovering any -portionof 'these areas, it gives the player who is inthe privi lege of making a home-run, completing the runs ef;all the men who are upon either ofthe bases, and also allowing ther-striker-the man who is supposed to have made the lucky stroke-to pass successively the iist, second, and third bases, and to reach the home-base. L is a moving casing, pivo'ted to the board atthe point Z, so thatit may be turned about in various positions. M is a slide, having a rounded head, as represented, and

vadapted tovbe drawn back by the thumb-piece fm, when it is forced outward. by the spring N, which is enclosed in the casing, ,and turns with it. This mechanism, L, M, N, is, under ordinarycircumstances, turned out of the nway, as indicated the black outlines of fig. l, but is liable to he put in usefvery frequently, bythe call ol' theVV player who Ais in. Whenever the latter wishes to change the posit-ion of either of. the men from one base to another, without having struck the ball, he notiiiesthe opposite playerot` the fact,`indicating which man he chooses to make the run, of cou'rse thereby indicating the base'next succeeding, which base he inteudshe shall make. In such case, the player who 'isin the field may swing the casing L intoyposition, and drawing back the' slide M, he pl/aces the ball'in front of it, and projects it with such skill as he can command. It`.he canrsucce'ed in leaving the ball in that cavity I which represents the corresponding base-man, the man who -was to make that base is pronounced out. It' the ball does not stop in that cavity I, the base is made, the man is left standing en the coveted base, and the pitching and batting ofthe ball are resumed.

Having now fully described my invention, and-the manner in which it should he used, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows: i

IIl.. I claimthe partially-revolving bat E, arranged as represented, moving close to the upper surface of the board A, and operated at the will of the player, so as to allow the striking ofthe ball in the several different positions, and with the several different eects, according to the skill of the player, substantially as herein set forth. i A y' A' l 2. I claimthe spring Gr, in combination with .the ,partially-revolving hat E, upon a parlor hase-ball board, and adapted to move the hat as the operating-cord Hxis released, substantially as herein set forth.

` 3. .I'claim the automatic pitcher B, mountedon a parlor base-ball board, and adapted to projectthe ball at several angles approximating to the right direction,l at the will and according to the skill of' the player, substantially as herein specified.

4. I claim the descending motion, in chmbiuaton with the forward motion of the pitcher, by which the l pitching-device iscarred so low, at the termination of'its motion, as to be out of the way of the returning ball.

5. I claim thev semi-rims I', arranged relatively to the cavities I, or thev corresponding-marked spaces in which the ball is to be stopped in passing, substantially as and for the` purpose herein set forth.

6.- I claim therswivelling-case L and its attachments, mounted on a'parlor hase-ball board, and-adapted to operate relatively thereto, substantially as herein-specified.

` lIi'RuNClS C. SEER-ING.

lVitnesses:

D. W. Srn'rsorz, W. C. DEY. 

